Asahi Group resumes partial operations in Japan following cyberattack disruption
Asahi has restarted limited production at eight Japanese plants after a ransomware attack halted operations across its domestic network.
JAPAN – Asahi Group Holdings has announced that eight of its domestic beverage factories have partially resumed operations as the company continues to recover from the recent cyberattack that disrupted its systems last week.
According to Just Drinks, six of the group’s breweries and two of its soft-drink production plants in Japan restarted limited operations on Thursday. However, a company spokesperson stated that “the factories are not yet fully operational.”
The spokesperson added that Asahi’s five remaining soft-drink factories in Japan “will resume gradually in accordance with shipments,” as the company works to restore normal production and logistics.
In total, the group operates around 30 manufacturing sites across Japan for its beverage and food businesses.
Currently, Asahi Breweries has resumed brewing and shipping its flagship beer, Asahi Super Dry. The company plans to expand production to include 16 additional products beginning October 15, such as Asahi Dry Zero, Asahi Zero, Clear Asahi, and whisky brand Black Nikka Clear.
The group’s food division, which produces items including baby food and miso soup, has also seen progress. All seven of its food manufacturing plants resumed operations on Friday, though they have not yet reached full capacity.
The disruption began last Monday when Asahi reported a “systems failure” caused by a cyberattack on its domestic network, affecting order-taking, production, and distribution.
The company later confirmed that the attack involved ransomware and may have resulted in data theft.
CEO Atsushi Katsuki issued an apology, stating, “We are continuing our investigation to determine the nature and scope of the potential unauthorized data transfer. We are making every effort to restore the system as quickly as possible.”
Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates
